For state polls, BJP turns to RSS man

RSS pracharak Ram Lal Agrawal, recently loaned to the BJP, will supervise the party8217;s election management in Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal.

RSS pracharak Ram Lal Agrawal, recently loaned to the BJP, will supervise the party8217;s election management in Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal.

The BJP has very high stakes in both poll-bound states. The party hopes to regain power in the smaller state of Uttaranchal by cashing in on the anti-incumbency factor. The party8217;s stock is down in UP, but it wants to leave nothing to chance in drumming up its prospects so that it is able to at least reduce the gap with current principal players 8212; Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party.

Chief ministerial candidate Kalyan Singh and spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad would continue to oversee UP and Uttaranchal, respectively. However, the entire managerial job 8212; from grassroots level personal contact of workers with voters and co-ordination with cadre of all outfits of the Sangh Parivar to booth management 8212; has been assigned to Agrawal.

Hailing from Mathura, Agrawal has served in the RSS for over three decades, mostly in UP. A go-getter, he is expected to effectively mobilise workers of all Parivar organisations. On a personal level, he shares a good rapport with BJP president Rajnath Singh. Sources said the name of another senior pracharak, Krishna Gopal, Assam 8220;kshetra sah-pracharak8221; of the RSS, had also cropped up for deputation, but the BJP chief showed a preference for Agrawal. Krishna Gopal is known for his proximity to former HRD minister Murli Manohar Joshi.

Once elections are over, the BJP would have to park Agrawal in a slot befitting his seniority. And that would be a bit tricky as Agrawal is senior to BJP general secretary organisation Sanjay Joshi not only in age, but also in 8220;sanghayu8221; experience in RSS. Sources in the party disclosed that Rakesh Jain, who was deputed to BJP along with Agrawal, will handle western UP. Jain belongs to Baleni village of Baghpat district and has a live contact with Meerut area.

Makhan Singh has been told by the high command to 8220;concentrate8221; on Madhya Pradesh. Sources said he would be drafted as general secretary organisation of the party8217;s MP unit, replacing BJP strongman Kaptan Singh Solanki. This being a cadre post, Solanki has to make way for someone else after having ceased being a pracharak. Singh will get posting orders after the poll of new state president.

The fourth pracharak, Santosh, is tipped for appointment as the new general secretary organisation of Karnataka after he is relieved by the RSS. Currently in power in alliance with JDS, the BJP aims at ruling over Karnataka alone. Santosh is expected to tone up the state party machinery.

Govindacharya lashes out at BJP

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NEW DELHI: Once seen as a key BJP ideologue, KN Govindacharya made a sharp attack on his erstwhile party on Wednesday. 8220;It is of no benefit now Ab iska koyi fayada nahin,8221; the former general secretary of the BJP said while replying to a question from reporters about the induction of four new 8220;pracharaks8221; into the party. He said, 8220;This is an attempt at treatment, but the medicine has been administered after the patient is dead.8221; He also lashed out at the BJP for its stance towards Bharatiya Janshakti leader Uma Bharati. He said the BJP had utilised Bharati till she was needed for 8220;jhadu-ponchcha cleaning the floor8221;, but when it came to 8220;sitting on the dining table8221;, she was shown the door.